Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Not okay to support Gillibrand bill in public

Senate Armed Services Committee
hearing on role of commanders
in disposition of offenses

The Washington Postreports that an Air Force judge advocate has been investigated and counseled for posting comments on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's Facebook page expressing support for the Military Justice Improvement Act, a bill that would transfer disposition authority from commanders to lawyers independent of the chain of command for major offenses. Says The Post:

Don Christensen, a former chief prosecutor in the Air Force, now serves as president of the advocacy group Protect Our Defenders, which backs Gillibrand’s bill. He said the criminal investigation into [Capt. Maribel] Jarzabek would resonate within Air Force legal circles.

“It’s clear that if you support the current system and you do so publicly, then that’s something that’s considered praiseworthy and can get you promoted,” he said. “But if you oppose it and say so, you’ll get criminally prosecuted.”

Anyone remember the service chiefs and TJAGs testifying in opposition to Sen. Gillibrand's bill?